On 16–17 March 2026, the RePIM Doctoral Network academic partners gathered in Brussels for the first in-person consortium meeting, hosted by imec-SMIT at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The meeting brought together representatives from the participating universities, marking an important milestone in the early phase of the project. Over two days, the consortium focused on the ongoing recruitment process for the 12 Doctoral Candidate (DC) positions.
In addition to recruitment, discussions also addressed the practical implementation of the network, including coordination of training activities, collaboration across work packages, and the overall research framework guiding the project. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to align expectations, strengthen collaboration across partners, and ensure a smooth transition into the next phase of the project.
With recruitment nearing completion, the consortium is now preparing to welcome the selected doctoral candidates in the coming months. Their projects will form the core of the RePIM research agenda, exploring key challenges and opportunities for public interest media in an evolving digital and societal context.
The consortium looks forward to starting this next phase and to building a strong, collaborative research and training environment for the Doctoral Candidates.